Thread carrier attachment



May 29, 1934.

FRIEDMANN THREAD CARRIER ATTACHMENT II l lllllllllllllllll'M INVENTOR Frledmann ATTORNEY Patented May 29, 1934 THREAD CARRIER ATTACHNIENT Albert Friedmann, Wyomissing, Pa., assignor to Louis Hirsch Textile Machines, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 9, 1933, Serial No. 684,376

10 Claims.

The device of this invention is an attachment or addition to the thread carrier of a flat knitting machine having for its major object an improvement in the tensioning and conditioning of the thread. The device may be attached to a standard thread carrier without alteration or, if desired, it may be made as an integral part of the thread carrier without otherwise changing it. By means of this invention the tensioning of the thread in the region of the thread carrier is greatly improved with the result that the thread may be more accurately laid behind theneedles and with more uniform tension, .and also-the proper conditioning of the thread may be insured. The nature of the invention is clearly shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a thread carrier attached to a carrier rod and having the invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the thread carrier and attachment of Fig. 1 along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a View in perspective of the attachment; and

Fig. 4 is a general diagrammatic View of a part of a fiat knitting machine illustrating the-manner in which the thread is conducted from the cone to the thread carrier.

As shown in Fig. 1 the thread carrier 1 consists of a finger 3 clamped to a carrier rod 5 by means of a clamp 4. In the upper end of the thread carrier is a longitudinally tubular thread guide 6. There is usually an intermediate guide '7 also and a terminal guide 8 at the tip of the carrier. As 5 is well known, in ordinary practice the thread carrier is moved back and forth through the operation of the carrier rod 5 to lay the thread be hind the needles. The attachment 10 comprising thisinvention consists of a box 11 open at one end and having a hole 13 in the middle of the opposite end. This box is attached to the thread carrier clamp so that it is positioned above it with hole 13 registering with guide 6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by means of a tongue 12 project- 5 ing below box 11 and which may be inserted in theclamp 4 as shown in Fig. 2. In this manner the box becomes a unit with the thread carrier and moves back and forth with it. Within box 11 arepositioned two pads 14 of felt or other ab- '.0 sorbent material, and of such a size that they fit closely together. Their'len'gth is such that they project above the top of box 11 as shown in Fig. 1, the slit between them being in line with hole 13 and tubular guide 6 of the thread car- .55 rier. The thread is led from the cone 16 in theusual moistening box, through an eyelet 1'7, over the usual tensioning devices 18, 19, 20, and 21 to the thread carrier 1 (Fig. 4), into the top of box 11 through the opening 13 in its bottom and through guides 6, 7, and 8. The pads 14 are then 0 placed in box,1l with the thread between their abutting edges. A slight tension is, therefore, impressed upon the thread by the pads 14 so that it is held gently but positively in position on the thread carrier. Without this device there is no 5 control of thread tension beyond the final tensioning device 21. This is a considerable distance, as will be seen from Fig. 4 and since the thread carriers move laterally whereas the tensioning devices do not, a considerable variation in con- 7 ditions is imposed upon the thread during the travel of the thread carrier. This often results in a variation in the laying of the thread behind the needles which, in turn, causes a lack of uniformity in the knitting. The addition of the-7 light tension of pads 14 directly at the thread carrier eliminates this serious defect.

T A further diflicultyencountered as a result of the considerable distance between final tensioning device 21 and thread carrier 1 is in maintaining the thread in a sufficiently and uniformally moist condition. As the thread leaves the cone in the moistening box it has been properly conditioned but by the time it reaches the thread carrier it may have dried out considerably and,

the amount of drying will vary widely with different atmospheric conditions. By means of this invention the thread can be reconditioned at the thread carrier just before it is laid. This is accomplished by moistening the pads 14 with water, oil, or other suitable substance. The thread passing between these pads for substantially their entire length will thus be reconditioned and this will occur just before it is laid.

This feature is particularly valuable in multiple thread knitting employing several thread carriers each of which remains idle while the others are operating. This greatly increases the time between which the thread leaves the cone and arrives at the needles and, consequently, the opportunity for it to lose its condition is correspondingly increased. Bythe simple device of this invention it is reconditioned at the proper time which is, as already stated, just before it is laid. The device may be utilized to any standard thread system, that shown being selected purely for purposes of illustration. It may also be quickly removed as desired, is extremely inexpensive, and in no way interferes with or alters the standard parts of the machine.

the thread carrier .is maintained. It may also be made a part of the thread carrier or carrier clamp if desired.

What I claim is:

1. A thread carrier for a flat knitting machine having means for moistening and applying a slight tension to the thread.

2. In a flat knitting machine, a thread carrier and means for moistening and applying a slight tension to the thread rigidly attached to said thread carrier.

3. In a flat knitting machine, a thread carrier and resilient means for moistening and applying a slight tension to the threadrigidly attached to said thread carrier.

4. In a flat knitting machine, a thread carrier having a guide'ior the thread, means mounted upon said carrier for moistening and maintaining a slight tension upon the thread, said moistening and tensioning means communicating-directly with said guide.

5. In a flat knitting machine, a thread carrier and means for moistening and applying a slight tension to a thread rigidly attached to said thread carrier, said moistening and tensioning means being provided with two contacting resilient and absorbent members arranged so as to permit a thread to be passed between them and to maintain a slight pressure upon the thread.

6. A thread moistening and tensioning device comprising a box open at one end andhaving an aperture in the opposite end, a multiplicity of contacting absorbent and resilient elements within said box arranged soas to permit a thread to pass between them and through the aperture,

and means for mounting said box upon a thread thread carrier with the aperture in line with the thread guide;

8. In a flat knitting machine having a thread tensioning device and a thread carrier, means upon the thread carrier for applying a slight supplementary tension to maintain said thread in correct position on said thread carrier.

9. In a flat knitting machine having a reciprocable thread carrier and a non-reciprocable tensioning device, means on said thread carrier for moistening said thread and for applying a slight supplementary tension to said thread to maintain it in proper position upon said thread carrier.

10. In a flat knitting machine having a reciprocable thread carrier and a non-reciprocable tensioning device, means on said thread carrier I for moistening said thread and for applying a slight supplementary tension to said thread to maintain it in proper position upon said thread 1 

